Only the Music
by LadyPhenyx
Summary: Though pain and joy, victory and loss, Jack has danced through life. He doesn't know it yet, but it's given him a reputation - one he and the Guardians are only now learning about.
1. Thank You For the Music

_And there's only the music_

_That plays on and on,_

_Yes there's only the music_

_The heartaches are gone_

_We can stand close together_

_While the world dances by_

_'cuz there's only the music _

_Between you and I._

_-Heather Alexander, "Only the Music"_

Chapter 1

**Thank You For the Music**

_Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk_

_She says I began to sing long before I could talk_

_And I've often wondered, how did it all start?_

_Who found out that nothing can capture a heart_

_Like a melody can?_

_Well, whoever it was, I'm a fan_

_So I say_

_Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing_

_Thanks for all the joy they're bringing_

_Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty_

_What would life be?_

_Without a song or a dance what are we?_

_So I say thank you for the music_

_For giving it to me_

_Abba, Thank You For the Music_

The wind slowed and Jack tumbled out of the air onto 'his' lake. For a minute he thought he had it, then his foot slipped and he went sliding across the frozen water, laughing and tumbling the whole way.

Flying was harder than it looked. At least this time he hadn't been dropped into any trees or run into anything.

It might be easier if someone were around to explain something, anything, to him, but for now, he'd just have to keep trying on his own.

He was about to give it another go when he thought he heard something from the village, carried to him by an obliging wind. Like the elephant's child, Jack had to know, so he leapt into the wind.

He'd been mostly avoiding the village since that first night that he rose from his lake and found himself walked through, but tonight he chanced it as the noise he was following grew stronger and his curiosity demanded satisfaction.

Jack followed the noise until he found the house it came from and stared hungrily through the window to watch the people inside, trying to ignore the frost that formed when he leaned too close.

Words came to him, though he didn't know how he knew them - _fiddle_ and _music_ and, strangest of all,_ dance_ - as inside, couples passed each other in lines, moving quickly along to the bright, cheerful music that warmed the room as much as the fire in the hearth did, taking hands and letting go, spinning around each other in patterns and laughing.

Taking frequent glances through the window, Jack began to copy the dancers. Without a partner to correct him, it took him awhile to catch onto the pattern and the cadence of the steps, so he began to make up his own, admiring the frost that spread under his feet, caught up in the spell of the music and the dance, cape flaring out around him as he spun, adding twists just for the fun of feeling it flare around him.

Without knowing how he knew them, the words flowing without conscious thought to match the singers inside, he began to sing along. Laughing, he bowed and dipped, his song faltering as he danced and needed to catch his breath.

Eventually the dance ended and the party broke up, the people calling out cheerfully to each other as they began to bundle up and head into the night and their respective homes. Kicking off from the ground before anyone could walk through him, Jack flew back to his lake, still humming the snatches of music he could remember.

Landing on the frozen surface, he kept humming, practicing the dance he'd learned until he was sure he would remember it, the steps coming easily now as if from a half-forgotten dream.

When he was sure he would remember, worn out and laughing, he fall back into a snowdrift and called down more snow to cover him like a blanket, hugging his staff to his chest and dropping off to sleep to dream of a room full of dancers sweeping him off to join them in their dance, welcoming him with open arms and quick, clever feet.

Every day Jack practiced, on his lake, in the air, to any scrap of music he could hear or remember.

He practiced his balance and flying and eventually fell less and less until he could walk along roofs and branches, even along the ridgepole of the roof itself as easily as the ground, and then until he could dance along them as if they were as solid as the earth itself.

As winter ended in 'his' town and the weather began to warm, the wind urged him to let it take him away and, as the last of the snow melted and he began to feel restless, he did, letting it carry him to other countries where the snow still fell.

They danced differently there, and as he watched suddenly Jack knew – he was going to learn them all even if it took him the rest of his seemingly immortal life.

**A/N:** The elephant's child is from Rudyard Kipling's _Just So Stories_, "How the Elephant Got Its Trunk" and it was "filled with 'satiable (insatiable) curiosity". Just like Jack, really.

Somehow, this sorta grew on me, both from wanting to do that next to last bonus and the idea of having each chapter be tied to/inspired by a song. It's not finished yet, but I wanted to start posting what is done. I hope someone likes it so far.


	2. Tsuki No Waltz

_Nemurenu kono tamashii wa (This sleepless soul)_

_Anata wo sagashi mori no naka (Enters the forest, looking for you)_

_CHANDORA MAHARU no ouji-sama ga (The Prince of Chandra Mahal (the Palace of the Moon))_

_Hizamazuite WARUTSU ni sasou (Kneels and invites me to waltz)_

_-_ _Isayama Mio, "Tsuki No Waltz (Waltz of the Moon)"_ watch?v=l8ivevOXdjY

(Ignore the first 40 seconds, please.)

He should probably be moving on, Jack knew. Winter was nearly over in this part of the world, and while Spring could be nice enough, she was unpredictable and tended to overreact if he stuck around longer than she thought he should.

Right now, though, the light snowfall he was making perfectly suited his mood, and he couldn't have stopped if he'd tried. There had been another ball last night, the humans celebrating something or other, Jack had no idea why they'd held a ball and didn't really care. All he cared about was listening to the music and watching them dance, the women in satins and silks with jewels gleaming on hand and throat, the men in fine black suits and white gloves, and he'd finally gotten close enough to see just how a waltz was danced.

He flitted around the meadow he'd chosen for his dance floor, spinning and dipping his imaginary partner. He was pretty sure he wasn't following the rules precisely, but he was Jack Frost, he didn't really do rules.

If it had been colder, he would have made a partner of ice to practice with him, but it wouldn't have lasted long enough for a proper dance in this weather. As it was, he had to settle for imaginary…and he wasn't sure if it was more lonely to dance alone or with a partner he'd created. If only he had someone who could see him to dance with…

The scent of flowers filled the meadow, the flowers that sprang in Spring's wake the way frost did in his, and from behind him Spring yelled his name. The rest of her rant washed over him as he kept dancing – desperate for attention he may be, he still could tune out a scolding with ease. Struck with a sudden idea, he changed directions, sweeping Spring into his dance.

She yelled at him some more as they twirled, her soft blonde hair, unbound but for the flowers braided into it, flaring around them, her green dress swirling about her just as Jack's cape did about him, but didn't pull away despite her protests. Jack's grip on her hand was firm yet loose enough she could pull free if she wanted, his other hand resting lightly on the small of her back as he led the dance around the meadow, flitting as lightly as his snowflakes, the pair of them barely touching the ground.

By the second rotation around the field she had stopped yelling, staring up at Jack with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, gripping his hand much harder than he had hers, her fingers digging into his shoulder as the meadow blossomed with frost tipped flowers.

Laughing, Jack dared to give her a spin. Spring was gaping up at him now as he hummed the waltz they were dancing to, eyes sparkling and grin wide enough to split his face, swaying them gently in time to the song he remembered.

By the time he dipped her as low as he dared to finish the dance her whole face was flushed and her eyes were gazing up at him with stars dazzling them.

He held that dip for as long as he could, their eyes locked they stood frozen, both barely daring to breathe and break the spell of the moment. Feeling his arms start to burn, he eased them back up, their gazes only breaking as he set her back on her feet.

He started to worry a little when she just stared at him. He wanted to have a little fun and spread his good mood, not break Spring!

Struck by a sudden thought – and hey, they'd worked out so far – he bowed and kissed her hand, the way he'd seen the men do to the ladies they liked last night. As he rose from his bow she giggled, blushing and fussing with her dress and hair with her free hand.

"Well…um…I suppose…a little more winter wouldn't hurt…" she murmured as he released her hand. Jack gaped at her for a second before beaming, grin stretching so far across his face it almost hurt.

"Wow, really? Thanks, Spring!" he said.

If anything, she blushed harder, giggling as she drifted away, still starry-eyed and flustered. Jack let out a whoop and took to the skies, ready to play a little while longer.

Dancing was awesome, but way better with a partner. He had to try that again, and soon!

E. Aster Bunnymund poked his head out of his tunnel and cursed soundly. Winter was supposed to be over _early_ this year!

Pulling himself from the tunnel, cursing again at the bite of snow under his paws, he set off. Easter wasn't going to be stopped, even if certain irritating winter spirits didn't know when to back off. At least it wasn't a blizzard, he'd really give that show pony a piece of his mind if he tried a trick like that.

During his third trip, he spotted Spring. "Oy, sheila!" he called, hopping over toward the spirit, who was staring up at the sky with a dreamy grin and quietly humming a waltz. "What gives with the snow? Weren't you gonna take over early this year?"

She started before giggling. "Oh…um…I gave Frost a couple more weeks," she said, the faraway look coming over her face again. She blushed and giggled some more before falling back into the snow, almost snuggling against the frozen stuff, and Bunny watched her for a minute before deciding she wasn't going to be any more forthcoming.

Bloody sheila was acting weird…well, weirder than usual. Bloody Frost's fault, obviously. If he saw the winter spirit, he was going to give the so-called "Shepherd of Winter" a piece of his mind for messing Spring up so badly! He risked another glance over his shoulder at the still-giggling and blushing spirit and narrowed his eyes. Girl was a strange one, all right, but…what in the name of the Man in the Moon did Frost _do_?


	3. I Have a Dream

_I have a dream, a song to sing_

_To help me cope with anything_

_If you see the wonder of a fairy tale_

_You can take the future even if you fail_

_I believe in angels_

_Something good in everything I see_

_I believe in angels_

_When I know the time is right for me_

_I'll cross the stream - I have a dream_

_- Abba, I Have A Dream_

_ watch?v=9yl2dIib9cw_

Jack had been out of the lake a little over two hundred years now, and he'd decided that dancing was up there with snowball fights and sledding for his favorite pastimes. If nothing else, he could dance even when there wasn't anyplace to bring snow that wasn't already saturated with it.

Sometimes, when the pain of being unseen and unheard got to be too great, he would use the dances he'd learned for release and relief. It was less painful than screaming into the wind (when he started screaming he couldn't stop until his voice gave out, forced to be silent for weeks afterward) or creating blizzards (they were part of the job but when he let his emotions create them they went out of control and the children were hurt by them, and he didn't want them hurt, not the children, never the children), and somehow, more satisfying.

He watched dancers all over the world and mixed parts of all their dances into his when he danced for himself.

The rapid movements of eastern belly dance mixed easily with flamenco or tarantellas, the ballet and the oriental dances all changed to suit his mood, playful or angry, sorrowful or painful. The best was when the wind partnered with him for a _pas de deux_ or held him for a lift, giving his spins extra height and catching him in his _tours en l'airs_ and _sautés_, holding him for the lowest floor moves in his belly dance or lowering him into a dip before letting him tumble into gymnastics, all of it mixing into a cohesive whole, flexible and expressive and _free_ as he slid across the ice of his lake with grace or violence, all of them letting out his pain at not being seen, his anger and fear that no one ever would or his joy in a winter night, any mood that caught him and needed expressed in ways he couldn't put into words.

Tonight he was in a gentle mood, and he mixed his dance styles into that mood as he flew over the city, dancing across roofs and telephone lines, leaving his trademark frost behind him in his steps, looking down at the children with soft eyes. His frost made interesting patterns when he danced it, different from how it looked when he simply walked or let it form under his hand, and he made a mental note to see if he could control it sometime, maybe even make pictures or words out of the frost. That should be funny, if he could get it to work.

Landing on a lamp post, he pirouetted, spinning gently on its slick surface. Coming slowly to a stop he crouched on its small surface, watching the city as it began to slow and fall asleep.

He glanced up at the moon and sighed. It wouldn't answer him, and tonight, at least, he didn't feel like trying and being proved right.

As the Sandman's golden streams began to fill the air, he smiled, cheered by their golden glow. He began to sing, quietly at first and growing louder as he grew bolder, a gentle lullaby-like song he'd heard a few weeks ago.

He took to the air, unwilling and unable to stay in one spot any longer, and danced through the air as he sang. For a few minutes he could pretend that the Sandman approved, that the streams of golden sand were being sent to dance along with him as he spun among them.

The streams wrapped around him, lending to the illusion. They danced through the sky, following him as he spun and dove, wrapped in a lacework of gold glittering against his pale skin and hair, gilded white and gold against the backdrop of velvet night and diamond stars.

As his song finished he slid carefully out from their embrace and bowed quickly to the cloud the Sandman rode on high above him, blowing a kiss in lieu of his usual hand kiss before flying off quickly. No way he was getting close enough to the Sandman for that, especially since there was no way the man had known Jack was there.

Someone as important as the Sandman was way to busy to dance with Jack.

If he had looked back, he might have seen the small golden man watching him leave with mixed amusement, curiosity, and worry, wondering just who that was and wishing with a soft regret that he hadn't run so quickly.

Sighing soundlessly, he turned back to his dreams as the other spirit – so very young still, barely more than a child – flew away. Much as he might have liked the other to speak to him, he had his work to do.

Still, he'd enjoyed the dance. Maybe next time he could surprise the winter spirit with one.


	4. Jump, Jive, & Wail

_Baby, baby, looks like it's gonna hail_

_Baby, baby, looks like it's gonna hail_

_You better come inside,_

_Lemmie teach ya how to jive & wail_

_- "Jump, Jive, & Wail"_ _ watch?v=EZhrWfbdbzQ_

Although Jack loved so many kinds of dance, some of them could only be done properly with a partner, and though Jack used to have to create them out of ice, it was slowly growing easier to swoop down on unsuspecting spirits and whirl them into a dance.

It was almost like they were hoping for him to do it. Well, some of them at least. Some spirits were so prim and stuffy they wouldn't know fun if it ran up to them starkers. It was still odd, but...it meant fewer spirits were attacking him on sight. If anything, they were pausing to wait – and he could talk things out with them, which seemed to scare most of them.

Of course, no one really expected a Winter spirit, even if he was the Spirit of Winter – or perhaps especially if – to seek out company for anything other than a fight, it seemed. And to try and talk – or dance – things out? Unheard of, if their reactions were anything to go by. Jack wasn't sure – he'd been rejected so many times in the first hundred years, he didn't stay to find out after the dance was over.

Sometimes it worked out better than others – Cupid, who he'd expected to be a dainty little thing, had turned out to be a man almost as huge as the famous North, and had been incredibly enthusiastic with the much smaller winter spirit, bodily picking Jack up to swing him around to the strains of a polka coming from the wedding they'd crashed, roaring with infectious laughter, while the less said about the time he'd tried dancing with Baba Yaga, the better.

Still, it usually worked out. Usually.

He'd found he loved the 'hot' dances, like the tango or flamenco – and no one expected a Winter spirit to be able to do those dances, full of heat and fire, challenge and fight, which made their surprise all the sweeter.

In fact, he loved every dance he'd tried, be it slow or fast, salsa or waltz or rumba, sweet and romantic or hot and defiant, any style or speed or taste. At the moment he found himself loving swing dancing the most for the sheer joy and exuberance of the dance, sharing his fun openly as he spun the selkie he'd surprised into a dance into a jumping dip, her legs locking around his waist as she bent backward, her hair nearly touching the ground before she snapped her body back up to face him, grinning almost as widely as he was.

All too soon it would be over and he'd have to fly away before the spell was broken, but for now, he was touching another spirit, held another's hand in his, and for the moment it was enough.

They kept dancing to the enthusiastic music pouring from the converted warehouse by the docks they'd met at until near dawn, when the humans themselves were exhausted and the music trailed off. Jack kissed her hand, as he had every partner, male or female, since that first dance, and she blushed furiously as she slid back into her sealskin and into the water, giggling and glancing back over her shoulder at him as he flew away quickly.

It seemed like he was finding partners more and more often lately, almost like they were seeking him out, and he wasn't quite sure what to think of that. On the one hand, the attention was good…on the other, it was odd. They didn't have conversations, not really, and he didn't stick around after the dance to be chased away. Maybe someday, but until then, he'd been rejected enough to not bother waiting around for it to happen.

**A/N:** "Jump, Jive, 'n Wail" is one of my favorite big-band swing songs. I know next to nothing about swing dancing except that it looks like a hell of a lot of fun, and this song never fails to get me on my feet.

Jack, baby, spirits are starting to be curious about you, if you'd just stick around and take a risk. :(


	5. Let's Dance to Joy Division

**Let's Dance to Joy Division**

_Let's dance to joy division,  
And celebrate the irony,  
Everything is going wrong,  
But we're so happy,  
Let's dance to joy division,  
And raise our glass to the ceiling,  
Cause this could all go so wrong,  
But we're so happy,  
Yeah we're so happy.  
-Let's Dance to Joy Division, The Wombats _

** watch?v=fKXe2T5YDQQ**

Jack curled up in the branches of the tree, looking down over the town below and despite appearances was not sulking, thank you very much.

After all these years, he thought he would have some idea of why he was here, what he was supposed to _do_.

Yeah, he had a pretty good idea of what he could do, when it came to his powers – though he refused to be satisfied, kept pushing the limits because he could – but that didn't mean he knew what he was supposed to do with them.

Most of the other winter elementals were deferring to him, now. It was strange, and he wasn't sure what to think about it – some of them were older than he was, but they still were backing off when he showed up. It was nice to not have to fight them, at least. Winter spirits, other than Jack, weren't big on talking things out, and a lot of them were vicious.

General Winter had actually paled and fled when he'd landed, drawn by the scent of magic-fueled snow.

Jack glared up at the swirling clouds above him. The General had been brewing up a storm, and it was a nasty one. Now that he'd fled, it looked like the storm was Jack's problem. No one else was going to do anything about it, that was for sure.

He'd been tempted to just let it run its course, but the General's storms tended to be nasty, bitter things, with harsh snow and killing cold. If Jack were to leave it as it was, it would just continue on the course the General had started.

Of course, it didn't matter now who had started it – Jack was here, there were no other winter spirits around, let alone any with the power to control the storm, so he was going to be blamed for it whether he did anything with it or not.

It was going to be a big one, even if he did get it under control. It was ready to dump snow that was going to be measured in feet rather than inches.

Oh well...how did that saying go?

_'If you're going to walk on thin ice – you may as well dance.'_

With a grin, Jack lifted off the branch and took to the skies. The clouds were stubborn about going where he wanted them, but he danced along their surfaces anyway, letting his powers sink into them to turn harsh, brittle, biting snow into soft, fluffy, playful snow.

This was going to be a storm to_remember_.

Okay, so the storm still got a bit out of hand.

Jack _might_...just might...have gotten a little frustrated with having to clean up other people's messes and never being noticed or wanted and let his dance get angry. It had only been for a minute, but that minute still translated into a lot of snow.

Lots and lots of snow.

He was going to owe Spring big.

Still, people were going to know his name now. Spirits, most likely. Humans still thought of him as nothing more than an expression. He was probably going to be blamed for this rather than praised, but better to be infamous than forgotten, right?

This storm was going to cover most of North America's eastern half in feet of snow. It was already up to Jack's waist, and it wasn't quite over yet.

He landed in a tree, looking over the town he had found himself over when the storm finally died down enough he didn't need to give it constant attention lest it get out of hand and grow bitter again.

Down below came a flash of gray, and Jack spun on his branch, dropping to dangle from it to see better. Who or what would be out at this time of night, in this storm he'd directed here?

If it was a Wendigo...there was going to be a problem.

Five minutes later, Jack was sure it wasn't a Wendigo – it was way, way too fast for one of them. Plus, Wendigo didn't talk, let alone complain, though it was too quiet for him to make out the words, just the tone.

...holy crap, it's the _Easter Bunny,_ Jack realized with a start as a pair of long ears swiveled toward him, their owner coming to attention.

He'd never actually gotten to see the rabbit before, since most of the time his job was over by the time Easter rolled around.

Suddenly he was spotted, the rabbit bounding over to the tree Jack was still seated in and starting to yell up at him, shaking a fist.

The accent was a surprise, that's for sure.

...it was Easter? Oh, so that was why the rabbit was out...and angry. Oops, Jack thought. The Easter Bunny wasn't in a mood to listen, that much was obvious, and no one ever listened to the explanations anyway.

The rabbit was continuing to rant, growing angrier the less attention Jack seemed to pay to him.

With a laugh, Jack went with impulse and swung down out of his tree, grabbing the rabbit's paw. The slick snow worked in his favor as he swung the rabbit into a dance, laughing with the wind as they spun and dipped.

The Easter Rabbit pulled away and Jack took to the air, still laughing as he dodged and spun just ahead of the grasping paws. It was still a dance, and even if the rabbit was still mad there was a hint of smile playing around his muzzle.

They continued their game slash dance, Jack still firing off the occasional snowball, the rabbit's cursing dying down as he jumped and ran, amusement and confusion – mostly confusion – replacing rage.

Suddenly they both froze as the sun broke over the horizon and they heard children cheering as they peeked out of their houses.

"Dude! Look at all the snow!"

"Look, eggs! The Easter Bunny still came!" a little girl's voice cried.

"I told you he could! Snow's not enough to stop the Easter Bunny!" her brother said happily, picking an egg up from the snow.

"...your fans are calling," Jack said quietly, drooping sadly, a small part of him wondering if anyone would ever say such things about him.

Deciding not to get too close to those strong paws, he swooped down and pressed a kiss to one overlarge ear. "Better get back to work, the storm'll be letting up now."

With that he took to the skies, disappearing rapidly as Bunny watched him go in confusion.

It wouldn't have been the first time a spirit had tried to ruin Easter...but they certainly never stuck around afterward to try and _dance_ with him.

Maybe the gumby wasn't trying to ruin his holiday? Shaking his head, Bunny tapped open a hole. He'd been so _sure_, when he'd seen all that snow, that that was all it was – another jealous spirit trying to ruin another's special day. He was still angry, true, but...

There was no time to wonder about it now, he had more eggs to hand-deliver now that the snow was going to make the googies' short little legs unable to carry themselves where they were needed.

Maybe the spirit didn't mean to ruin Easter, but he sure didn't care about all the work Bunny had put into it or all the extra work he'd just made for him!

A/N: So...someone said about doing something for Blizzard of '68. I wasn't going to, but changed my mind at the last minute. Hope it's enjoyed.  
Also, I tried to name Spring, but she remains stubbornly Spring. I would say she's the amalgamation of differently-named spring spirits, so she just goes by "Spring" among spirits.


	6. With Whom to Dance

_I'm looking for somebody with whom to dance  
With whom to dance? With whom to dance?  
I'm looking for somebody with whom to dance._

_- The Magnetic Fields, "With Whom To Dance"_

watch?v=9n1AXekCOQ4

Jack lounged in the back of the sleigh as they rode back to the Pole, as exhausted from the physical exertions of the last few days as from emotional exhaustion. The last few days had been one wild ride, and all he wanted to do now was sleep.

There had been moments he'd been ready to break into a booty-shaking victory dance, and others he'd been so devastated he couldn't even move, let alone dance. Little wonder all he wanted to do was fall over.

If he wasn't so exhausted, he might have tried pulling one of the others, probably Tooth since Sandy and Bunny were both exhausted (and if he was honest with himself, he really wanted to dance with Tooth), into a victory dance, but he wasn't quite sure how that would go over with the fairy queen. After all, he'd never stuck around after a dance before, and he didn't want the other Guardians to stop associating with him just because of a dance.

Maybe later he decided, slouching against the side of the sleigh and pulling his hood over his eyes. After he'd found out if Tooth liked that kind of thing, and didn't think dancing was embarrassing or something. It was different to swoop on someone and dance when he could run afterward, he was rather hoping he might be able to talk to the Guardians for awhile, so he'd better wait.

For now, he was going to see if it was possible to sleep for a month.

It had been a little over year now since that eventful Easter, and Jack was sitting on the rafters in the Pole watching the moving mass of spirits down below. North had opened a wing that had been closed for centuries, roughly along the same time the Guardians had begun to drift apart. Throwing parties took away time from preparing for the holiday, after all, and there was no real use for the ballroom or drawing rooms when one wasn't giving parties.

Now, though, North felt that a year was long enough for Jack to get used to the idea of being a Guardian – it wasn't, really, but Jack wasn't about to tell him that – and he was ready to celebrate the newest Guardian's choosing. He'd wanted to hold it sooner, but it was hard to pin Jack down when it came to large gatherings.

...cut him some slack, he'd been almost totally alone for three hundred years save for chance encounters! They were all lucky he still had the social skills he had and hadn't gone raving mad years ago.

At least he'd finally gotten North to listen to him on one front – there weren't many, but there were a few spirits out there that made Bunny's grudge-holding skills look mild. There was a reason most winter spirits were solitary and that the name for a gathering of winter spirits was called a 'war', after all. Some spirits never got past him being of winter, and others, well...any reason would do.

At least he and the Pooka had been able to start talking over the past year, and start building a friendship on the tenuous trust they had started over that hectic weekend.

As it was, he'd played along with his introduction as a Guardian to show willing – one he'd argued North down to from an outrageous spectacle, almost as bad as that first attempt at a swearing-in ceremony – before retreating to the rafters for a breather. He'd fly down soon, really, he just needed a few minutes. This much attention was hard to handle after all this time, but North had promised a band, and Jack had downplayed how interested he was in that. A live band, one playing for _him_ to dance to!

He actually had the impression North thought he didn't like music or dancing. Well, he'd like to see the person who liked being surprised with a full brass band, flaming torches, and choreography out of nowhere, for goodness' sake.

Honestly, airborne flaming torches around a winter spirit? Who thought that was a good idea?

Tooth flitted through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and greetings with various spirits. It had taken months, and hadn't been easy, and it had been tempting now and again to go back to how things had been before Jack, but she'd finally managed to work with her girls so she could take a night off now and again.

Baby Tooth flitted above her mother's head, looking around with unconcealed excitement. Usually she would have been left in charge in her mother's absence, but not tonight, not on her best friend's night.

Stopping by one of the many refreshment tables, Tooth scooped up a drink, passing a smaller one to Baby Tooth.

"Are they serious? Jack Frost?" she overheard, the voice low and female. Stiffening, she glanced around, finding the speaker – a dryad – and moving toward the group as stealthily as possible.

"I know, right?" It wasn't the first time she'd had to defend their youngest, newest Guardian against judgmental spirits, and Tooth edged her way closer, ready to demonstrate that, pretty feathers or not, she was still a _iwarrior _/i queen_._

So braced was she for the poison she was sure would follow her wings nearly stalled when naiad who had spoken sighed instead. "He's so…so…the Spirit of Winter shouldn't be that _hot_."

The group, nearly all female spirits, sighed. "He was so passionate with me," a Snow Maiden said in a confidential tone, "I thought I was going to _melt_."

"Just thinking about being with him still gives me chills," Summer admitted, blushing.

"He was such a gentleman with me, so sweet and slow. My head still spins when I think about it," Spring added. "What about you girls?" she asked, turning to the three Muses who'd managed to attend the party. Thalia laughed as Melpomene and Erato blushed and looked down to the ground.

"Snowflakes upon the wind

have no less grace than he

and their touch is no less gentle

than the kiss he gave to me," Erato murmured. The rest of the group sighed.

Thalia laughed again as they revived from Erato's surprise poetry. "Terpsichore is annoyed she hasn't had a chance at him yet," she said confidentially. "We're the only three to get a taste so far, and the others want a turn, but Terpsi thinks she should have been first out of us and she's annoyed we got him before she did."

"It felt so good to have his arms around me," Melpomene said softly. "I would give much for the chance to feel it again."

"Do you think any of us have a chance tonight?" the dryad who'd first spoken asked anxiously.

"It's one of North's parties, surely it'll go on until dawn. We might all get a chance," a selkie pointed out. Her sister nodded.

"He had so much energy when he was with me, I'm sure he can go all night," she said. "Oh, I can hardly wait! He's so much stronger than he looks, it's so exciting when he has his hands on you."

"Strong but gentle," a shy little river spirit piped up. "He's the spirit of winter, but he didn't even frost me, he was so careful." The others sighed, the selkie patting the river spirit's shoulder as he blushed and looked down, shuffling his feet nervously.

"Have you seen his eyes when he really gets into it?" another asked. "They're just so…so…" they all sighed again, giggling, as Tooth continued to watch in stunned silence, glancing up at Baby Tooth, who was completely at sea. Were they…their Jack…what she thought?

"Did he kiss your hand when it was all over?" she heard one ask as she began to back away, hearing the confirmations from the rest of the group, the sighs of "So _romantic_" and "How a spirit of cold and ice be so…hot-blooded?" and giggles as Tooth retreated.

She drifted over toward the wall, mind whirling and grip dangerously close to crushing her cup, nearly running into Bunny, who was staring at the group with open mouth and twitching eyelid. They exchanged looks and Bunny shook his head, storming off toward the refreshments, muttering about needing a drink.

Slowly she drifted over to where Sandy and North were talking with Cupid, waiting until the large man excused himself to get their attention. She summarized the conversation she'd overheard, wrapping up with "…and so now Bunny's off to drink away the memory. Had you two heard anything about this? Are they…really…?"

Sandy started eying Jack while North shrugged pensively, looking far too amused for Tooth's taste. "Hard to tell, we have shut ourselves off for so long. It has been a long time since we have heard the latest gossip."

Their conversation drifted off and they watched in silence as Jack finally drifted down from the rafters, hesitantly starting to mingle. He stopped by the group Tooth had been eavesdropping on, talking animatedly with the group of steadily reddening spirits, and there was a sudden rush of excitement as he kissed Spring's hand and she dropped like one of Tooth's more excitable fairies.

Sandy rolled in midair with silent laughter as North's laugh boomed across the ballroom and Tooth gaped.

**A/N: **I had entirely too much fun writing the innuendos. I never get to try those. I have got to do it again, I ran dry before I was ready to stop.

Terpsichore is the Muse of Dance, Melpomene is Tragedy, Thalia is Comedy, and Erato is Love Poetry. The poem she quotes is mine, one I whipped up for this fic.

I promised eventual Rainbow Snowcone, didn't I? Slow, slow burn.


	7. Does Your Mother Know?

_Well I can dance with you honey_  
_ If you think it's funny_  
_ Does your mother know that you're out?_  
_ And I can chat with you baby_  
_ Flirt a little maybe_  
_ Does your mother know that you're out?_  
_ -Does Your Mother Know?, Abba_  
/watch?v=WkL7Fkigfn8

Jack settled down on a branch, flopping against the trunk with a sigh. Being seen was awesome, and now it seemed like more and more kids were seeing him every day. (He thanked Jamie and his friends every time it happened, knowing they'd told their friends about him the last time he'd pulled off a major snow day on a week where temperatures had been _predicted_ to be unseasonably warm, and one of them told their big sister who wrote about it on her blog, and...it just grew from there.)

Still, being seen all the time was tiring. He understood a little bit now why the other Guardians tried so hard not to be seen, beyond the 'Belief is stronger without proof' idea, but he couldn't stay cooped up like they did – he had to go out and about to deliver his frost and snow.

If he had his way, Tooth was going to be leaving her palace a lot more too. Palace or not, when you never left it turned into nothing more than a extra large and sparkly cage. The other two he could understand not leaving very often – though that was going to change – but Tooth shouldn't be caged.

He glanced through the window his branch hung next to when music suddenly began to pour through it. Grinning, he laughed at himself. Of all the places to land, _of course_ he would land outside a high school's winter formal.

Something landed lightly in his hair, and he jumped. High pitched laughter met his ears as Baby Tooth swung lightly down from his hair to hover in front of him. Laughing at himself, Jack held out a hand for Baby Tooth to land on.

"Hey Baby Tooth," he said happily. "How's one of my favorite females?"

Baby Tooth chittered at him and he listened carefully. He could only make out about two thirds of what she was saying, but he was getting better at it, he was sure.

"Sounds like you're extra busy," he commented when she was done. "Is your mama letting herself fall back into old habits?"

Baby Tooth rolled her eyes, huffing. He laughed again, stroking an extra gentle finger over her head. "Want me to stop by the palace and try dragging her out?" An emphatic nod was his answer, and he smiled. It was nice to be wanted.

"Deal. For now...need to get back to work?"

Baby Tooth shook her head, looking up at Jack curiously. She may not know what he was planning, but she was sure it'd be _fun._

Grinning mischievously, Jack lifted himself from his branch to hover in mid air as Baby Tooth did the same. With a flourish Jack bowed to her, grin still firmly in place.

"If I could have this dance, then, milady?"

Baby Tooth giggled, curtsying back. She'd seen him in action at the party, but hadn't gotten a chance that night. Briefly she wondered if he knew about the rumors she'd heard that evening or what they'd been talking about, but tossed it aside in favor of playing with Jack.

They couldn't dance properly, but they circled each other in the air, spinning circles around the other, Jack gently taking Baby's tiny hand in his or cradling her in his cupped hands when she wasn't spinning around him, both laughing as the wind carried them higher and they danced through the air.

They flew away from town, still dipping and twirling as they headed toward the Tooth Palace.

As they came in sight, a swarm of sparkling green rushed them and Jack laughed loud and long as he was mobbed by off-duty tooth fairies. For a few minutes more he danced with them, laughing as the group of them dipped and twirled, not bothered by little things like gravity, dancing from floor to air to spire.

Finally Jack reluctantly slowed to a stop. The fairies sighed in disappointment even as Jack hurried to apologize, promising them a longer dance later. They accepted the promise philosophically, going back to rest properly before they hurried out into the world again as Jack headed toward command central, as he referred to the center of the Tooth Palace.

Time to try and convince a workaholic fairy she needed to have a little fun and take a little break.

Jack stared at the ceiling and huffed out a sigh. The meeting wouldn't last too much longer before they got to the real business of just being together, but right now, it was bo-ring.

Baby Tooth snuggled against his cheek with a chirp, and he raised a hand for her to step onto. He looked down at her and they shared a moment, both saying clearly without words how bored both were.

Really, Baby Tooth should have been at the palace, overseeing things in her mother's absence, but they'd wanted to see if the others could cover the slack if both had to leave in an emergency – which meant being bored at the meeting for Baby Tooth.

Suddenly grinning, Jack lowered Baby Tooth to the table. She looked at him curiously, matching his grin when he held his hand by her, holding out thumb and ring finger for her to grip.

Giggling silently, he danced her around his section of the tabletop, giving her a little spin now and then. As North's droning speech wrapped up, he scooped Baby Tooth up into his hands, brushing a kiss over her head.

Tooth was trying to pay attention to North, she really was, but despite being the guardian of wonder, he could make things very dull when he got too into the technical details of his job. Enthusiastic, yes, but she'd been lost for the last ten minutes. She suspected Sandy was the only one still paying attention to North by this point.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Baby Tooth and Jack grin at each other and hoped they weren't about to start mischief. Not that she'd blame them, but there were times and places.

Instead, she found herself amused and touched as Baby Tooth started dancing with Jack's hand, a sudden warmth filling her heart as Jack played with Baby Tooth, so gentle with her little girl.

She was fairly sure the other guardians still hadn't realized just how close the little fairies were to being her children. They weren't rough with them, but they weren't gentle the way Jack was.

Before they had really gotten to know Jack, she never would have thought he would be so gentle with anyone, but he really did love her fairies. It was obvious every time he came into contact with them, so gentle and caring each time he was close to her girls.

Her girls told her about it, how he would hold them or let them nap on him, in his pocket or his hair, or...there, as North wrapped up and the dance ended, he brushed a kiss over Baby Tooth's head, just as her girls had whispered he did.

She could love him for the way she treated her girls, she really could.

She had to keep reminding herself that she should think such things about him. He was still getting used to regular interaction with friends, and so was she, really.

It was that party of North's when she had started to hear the rumors that had apparently been going around the spirit world about Jack, besides the rumors of his mischief and pranks, about gentle hands and fiery passion, that made her curious - and confused. She wasn't quite sure what to think about the rumors yet.

Except...her eyes kept wandering away from his teeth to his hands, and more than once she had to push away thoughts wondering if those hands were as gentle as rumor said...and what they'd feel like on her.

A/N: I couldn't get the image of Jack dancing with the baby teeth out of my head. It's my thought that he feels vaguely guilty over what happened to them over Easter weekend 2012, being separated from their mother and caged up and then it took him so long to help them, that they have him wrapped around their little fingers.


	8. Do Wacka Doo

_I've been playing some old records_  
_That I found in Grandpa's trunk_  
_Beside a wind-up gramophone_  
_Beneath a pile of junk_  
_And in that dusty attic_  
_I enjoyed a music show_  
_Listening to the melodies_  
_Of eighty years ago_

_Doo wacka doo wacka doo wacka doo wacka doo_  
_The band would play_  
_Doo wacka doo wacka doo wacka doo wacka doo_  
_They'd dance the night away_

_I long for all the magic_  
_And the days of cabaret_  
_Bring back those good old melodies of yesterday_  
_Bring back those good old melodies of yesterday_  
_ - Celtic Thunder, Do Wacka Doo_ watch?v=mv_kOb6JRaY

Jack gave another box a tug, coughing as he dislodged another fifty year's worth of dust. He knew everyone was busy around here, but yesh, you'd think they'd clean once a decade or something!

Phil had waved him toward the room earlier, muttering something in yeti about Jack looking in there for some boxes of fabric if he was so desperate to help out. Apparently he had an idea he wanted to try that needed the sturdy and fancy fabrics they'd tossed in here when they had stopped using the real stuff on the toys they sent out – silks and satins and velvets rather than in imitation stuff parents could justify or the magic could convince them they'd bought.

Jack didn't really care about the why, just so long as he had an excuse to go poking around in one of the storerooms.

The Northern Hemisphere's summer was boring, and there wasn't much for him to do in the Southern Hemisphere. Much better to have an excuse to go poking around in the Pole, now that he had free access to the building. He wasn't going to go into most of it without some reason, since he didn't want that access taken away, but when they said it was fine...

He was beginning to suspect that Phil didn't really want the fabric, he just wanted Jack out of the way. Oh well, his loss setting Jack loose in a storeroom. Jack grinned and moved on to the next pile.

It wasn't North's storeroom of adventuring souvenirs, but this was almost better – he didn't have to worry quite so much about damaging something in here.

He yanked open the next box, letting out a laugh and a low whistle as he dug inside. Very fancy, very fancy indeed, North, he thought, pulling out the tuxedo jacket. It was far too small for North, but too big for a child, and Jack wondered just why North had it.

It was still in good condition, thanks to North's spells on the storerooms to protect the contents. Dust, no, didn't protect against that, but at least they didn't disintegrate from being left alone.

Jack dug back in the box, pulling out the shirt and bow-tie to go with the tuxedo jacket.

The next box yielded a hatbox, and Jack laughed as he pulled out the old top hat. He laid it on top of the tuxedo jacket, shirt, and tie, debating trying them on for the hell of it.

No, he decided, he wasn't done exploring just yet. He went through a few more boxes, finding nothing of interest in them. Pulling at a drop cloth, he stared in disbelief at the gramophone he uncovered. One of the old ones, with a crank on the side and a huge trumpet. There was a box of records tucked underneath, and Jack dove in.

Five minutes later, he had the record on and was cranking the machine to wind it up. He hadn't heard this music in decades, and he missed it.

Suddenly remembering the tux, he set down his staff, pulling off his hoodie and grinning. Might as well, right?

Five minutes later, Jack tilted the top hat to a jauntier angle and gave a twirl, enjoying how the jacket's tails flared behind him. Hey, if he was going to dance to classy music, may as well look the part right? He'd always wanted to give it a try anyway.

The music kicked on, bright and lively, and Jack laughed as he danced his way around the clear area in the middle of the room, staff taking the place of a cane as he played.

The song came to an end and he bowed to his imaginary partners, straightening at the sound of clapping from the doors to stare incredulously.

Sandy stood there, smiling broadly.

Jack began to blush, frost spreading over his face at getting caught. Still, he summoned up a smile and gave his staff a twirl, sauntering over to Sandy.

The small dreamweaver grinned, summoning up a top hat and monocle from his sand. Jack laughed as Sandy restarted the record, giving him a bow. "Care for this dance?" he asked dryly as Sandy laughed silently.

They spun around the room, sometimes on the floor and sometimes taking to the air, Sandy's sand filling the room and twining around them as they dipped and spun, Jack's laughter filling the room alongside Sandy's streams. For a minute Jack was reminded of all the times he'd danced or played with Sandy's sand before, and he wondered if Sandy knew about those times.

When the door creaked open again, revealing a confused Phil who had been attracted by the noise, they didn't hesitate, Sandy pulling him into the room and Jack pulling him into the dance.

Phil protested at first – he was _busy,_ Jack! - but gave in soon. Jack was one of the few who could get the stern workaholic to play, and they both knew it.

He was surprisingly light on his feet for such a huge spirit.

The three of them Charleston-ed, tapped, and spun around the room, making up their own silly dances, breathless from laughter by the time the record spun to its end.

Jack was going to give them both the traditional hand kiss and managed Sandy's before Phil grabbed him around the waist, squeezing tight and ruffling his hair, making Jack laugh and squirm for freedom.

He set Jack back on his feet, gesturing to the top hat and tails Jack was still wearing and saying something quickly. Same as with the tooth fairies, Jack was starting to pick up enough to understand most of what Phil was saying.

"Really? It's not my usual look," he replied to the compliment, giving a spin and tapping his staff on the floor like a cane. Phil just grunted out another laugh and some more yeti, telling Jack to keep the outfit.

He brightened – impractical as they may have been, they were still the first offhand present, let alone present, he'd gotten in as long as he could remember. "Really, Phil? Thanks!" he cried, throwing himself into Phil's arms for another hug.

Phil grunted at the impact but wrapped his arms around Jack anyway, Sandy floating down to join the hug. Jack needed far more hugs in both their opinions.

Sandy giggled silently and pressed himself closer to Jack's side. At least Jack had known he was dancing along this time. He still found himself far too amused at how oblivious Jack was when it came to the effect his dancing had on others.

Not that he was going to be the one to tell Jack. After all, these things had to be discovered on your own, right?

A/N: I admit it, this chapter was just because I 1) wanted to use that song, 2) wanted to get Jack in tails and a top hat, and 3) felt challenged to toss Phil in there.  
Also, I am amused by Oblivious!Jack and Oblivious!Tooth, so while they both will eventually figure things out, it may take them awhile. Also, Sandy is a little shit and I love writing him as one.


	9. Dance to Your Shadow

**Dance to Your Shadow**

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When it's hard to be living,_

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When there's nothing there to heal you,_

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When it's hard to be living,_

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When there's nothing there to heal you,_

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When it's good to be living,_

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When there's nothing there to fear you,_

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When it's fine to be living,_

_Dance to your shadow:_

_When there's nothing there to fear you_

_- Kim Robertson, Dance to Your Shadow_

watch?v=iMwbWOW_Dog

Baby Tooth giggled again, fluttering in front of her mother, urging her to follow, as did the other fairies clustered around her, all of them giggling. Tooth giggled herself and let them tease her, even as she glanced at the sky worriedly. The sun was already rising, and they'd have to leave soon or risk being seen by the children. Still, her girls had a secret they were so very eager to share with her, and they so rarely got to play and be silly like this, and she did want to know…

Still giggling, Baby Tooth darted into thicker woods, and Tooth had to concentrate to follow, dropping her speculation as to where her daughter was taking her. If the trees and brush got much thicker, she would have to land and go on foot.

Just as she was sure she would have to land Baby Tooth stopped, pointing. These woods were just above Jack's lake, Tooth realized suddenly, glancing over the edge of the steep hill. What could possibly…

Baby Tooth darted down the hill, stopping halfway up and pointing again, urging her mother to hurry. Tooth huffed a little before following. Really, if they were coming to Jack's lake, why couldn't they have come in openly?

At the halfway point of the hill was a crevice, wide enough to be a proper cave entrance, and Tooth sensed the same sort of magic on it that protected her palace, North's workshop, Sandy's island and Bunny's Warren from being seen – an unconscious magic that happened when a spirit claimed a spot for their own.

Squeaking, Baby Tooth pushed her mother to the side when Tooth kept hovering in front of the entrance, rapidly urging her mother that they couldn't be seen.

Mollified a touch and more curious than ever, Tooth drifted cautiously toward the cave opening in the hillside. Gently and curiously she reached out toward the icicles dangling in it, noting absently that it was far too warm for icicles to be forming yet this year.

A gentle touch confirmed her suspicions – Jack's ice, the permanent kind that never melted and that he only used rarely. These ones weren't shaped like his usual icicles, clearer and with smooth, flat edges, swinging freely in a barely seen curtain across the cave's face.

Could this be Jack's home? Tooth wondered, reaching toward it again cautiously before drawing back. If it was, little wonder he'd hesitated about showing it to them – he was probably comparing it to what they had and felt like he was coming up short, even when he had no reason to feel that way.

Oh, but she wanted to look inside. It took all her self control to stay outside and not dart in, but curiosity lost against basic etiquette. If this _was_ Jack's home, she had no right to burst in uninvited.

Suddenly Baby Tooth squeaked, grabbing her mother's hand and shooting for the trees. Startled, she let Baby Tooth pull her up, following her daughter's pointing arm to see Jack coming in for a landing.

He hovered in front of the hill for a moment, glancing around for watchers before ducking into the cave. Cautiously, at Baby Tooth's urging, Tooth made her way back down the hill, peeking into the entrance.

For a few minutes, Tooth wasn't sure just what Baby Tooth wanted her to see. Jack had disappeared into the back of the cave, out of sight of the entrance, although she could still hear the faint sounds of him moving around inside.

Then the sun finished rising and its rays came through the trees, flooding the cave with light. It sparkled through the ice and Tooth had to stifle a gasp as the inside of the cave exploded into rainbows that danced over the walls as the wind stirred the icicles into gentle, swaying motion.

Inside the cave Jack laughed and Tooth stared as he came back into view and he began to dance, flitting about the cave and playing with the rainbows. The rainbows slipped over Jack's skin, glowing against the pale canvas, highlighting graceful arms and a laughing face.

Slowly he undulated, feet moving to a beat only he could hear. His hips dipped and rolled as he began to move, arching his back so far his hair brushed the floor before rolling back up just as slowly. Gradually he picked up speed, moving faster and faster around the small cave, the rainbows dipping and spinning, highlighting in his hair and over his skin, sparkling and ethereal, fae and otherworldly as he danced, unhindered by gravity's demands.

Enchanted and entranced, Tooth watched Jack dance, a personal celebration and outpouring of fun and joy, slowly and unconsciously drifting closer. Gasping at a sudden stab of heat low in her stomach, suddenly feeling as though she were intruding on something deeply personal, she shot upward before Jack could find her watching, setting off for the rest of her self-assigned route with the image of Jack dancing in rainbows imprinted in her mind.

A/N: Spying is bad, Tooth. Still...did you know some male birds will dance and use their plumage to attract a mate? I think Tooth liked Jack's display. Even if he didn't know he was displaying for her.


End file.
